The One
by Asonta-chan
Summary: this is my 1st harry potter fic n it is a romance b/w harry n hermione. it takes place in their 4th yr n their r some GoF spoilers in here. it takes place during the yule ball.


"The One"

By: Sanja (Asonta-chan)

A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fan fic, so be nice! No flames! It is a romance between Harry and Hermione. It takes place during the Yule Ball during their 4th year (WARNING: _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire _spoliers!!!!!!!!) and is rated PG. Well…that's about all I have to say, so just enjoy! And don't forget to review it when you are done! That's what keeps me writing-your reviews! Enjoy! Oh, and also it's a song-type fic to one of my favorite by my favorite band: Backstreet Boys: "The One." 

"Password!" shouted the fat lady in the portrait to the Gryffindor room. 

Hermione sighed as she said, "Fairy Lights…" and the doors swung open.

Hermione walked inside the candle-lit common room and sat down in a velvety-cushion chair, resting her wounded leg on a stool nearby. She sighed while wincing in pain for her leg hurt so much. She didn't yet tell anyone nor did she feel like walking all the way over to Madame Pomfrey's office. 

Just then the doors swung open again as her two best friends: Ron and Harry entered inside. Upon seeing her, they had walked over to her. Hermione noticed them walk towards her, and immediately put her leg down for she didn't want to worry her friends and go through the process of explaining to them what had happened. 

"Hey Hermione, watcha doin'? What were you doing with your leg upon the table?" asked Ron with a mouth full of cake that Dobby had apparently given to him. 

"Oh…nothing…just sitting here…Anyways, mind you, I am going to start getting ready for the ball," Hermione quickly said as she got up and tried her best to walk normally over to the girls' dormitory despite the searing pain in her leg.

"'Wonder what's up with her?" Ron said as he took another bite of his cupcake. 

"She seemed to be limping somewhat, didn't you notice?" Harry said to his friend.

"I didn't notice anything…She just acted strange…'Is all," Ron replied while finishing up the last of his cupcake.

"Anyways, we have an hour before the ball so I'm going to go and start getting ready. See ya later, Harry," Ron said as he went to go change in the boys' dormitory. 

"I wonder what's wrong with Hermione…She acted strange, and not only that, she was limping…She hurt her leg…but how…?" Harry pondered on in his mind. 

He thought about it for a moment, and then looked at his watch, deciding to go and get ready, too and talking it over with her at the ball. As he was getting ready into his best of wizard robes, he wondered who Hermione was going with to the ball…

~At the Yule Ball~ 

Everything had been decorated and lit. There were candles everywhere; the magnificent, 12, giant Christmas trees were decorated with colorful ornaments, real, hooting, golden owls, candles, glowing holly berries and all sorts of other magical things; everlasting icicles that look eerie yet enchanting in the candlelight hung from the banisters of the marble staircases, there were wreathes and boughs of glistening mistletoe and holly everywhere and the knights in armor were bewitched to sing joyous Christmas carols. Everything was set up and everyone was there, except one person who seemed to be nowhere in sight…

"Ron! Where is Hermione?" Harry asked Ron who didn't seem to be too happy with his overexcited, giggling yet annoying dance partner: Parvati. 

"I don't know…I haven't seen her," Ron said, hurriedly as Parvati pulled him away to the dinner table. 

"Oh that Mudblood probably didn't even show up! She probably didn't want for people to see that she didn't have a dance partner!" laughed Pansy Parkinson as she clutched on Draco Malfoy's arm who had obviously been her dancing partner. 

"How dare you call her that?! She is not! She's-"but before Harry could finish his sentence, Pansy and Draco had already found themselves a seat, preparing for dinner as they still laughed, cold-heartedly about what Pansy had just said.

Harry, now angry and worried about Hermione, almost stormed off, but someone had caught his arm. 

"Hey, Harry. Come on; let's go and find ourselves a seat. Dinner is about to start," Cho Chang smiled up at him.

Harry was in love with Cho and thought of her as really pretty. He had asked her to be his dance partner for the Yule Ball that he was supposed to open along with the 3 other champions of the Triwizard Tournament. Harry had always admired her. She had been really pretty, popular with her "girls" following her everywhere, and not to mention a really good Quidditch player on the Ravenclaw team. Harry had just yesterday come up with the courage to ask her to the dance, happy yet surprised that no one had asked her yet. Now Cho did not matter to him anymore…All that concerned him at the moment was Hermione...He was extremely worried about her, and wanted to know what was going on. Hermione had always been his best friend and he had always stood up for her (whenever someone called her a Mudblood like Pansy did tonight which had made him extremely angry). But now, as Harry pondered on in his mind about what could possibly be wrong with Hermione and why she hadn't come to the dance, he started to consider her as more than just a friend…

"Uh…listen…ummm…Cho, I have to get goin.' There is something I must do!" and with that, Harry ran up to the Gryffindor room, leaving a confused and shocked looking Cho standing there.

He ran as quickly as he could to the Gryffindor room.

He practically yelled out the password to the fat lady who had been rather irritated by him for interrupting her conversation with her friend witch from downstairs: Violet or Vi as she had called her.

He looked around the Gryffindor common room, hoping to find her there. Since she wasn't there, he guessed that she had probably still been up in the girls' dormitory. Breaking the rules, he went over there and knocked on the room. No one answered. Harry had begun to worry now even more. He knocked again and just as he was about to leave, he listened closely for he thought that he had heard something. He pressed his ear to the door and listened. He heard muffled crying coming from the room. He immediately guessed it as Hermione, so becoming more worried, he opened the door which to his surprise, hadn't been locked. He entered. She didn't seem to notice or hear him as he came in. He walked over to her bed. She had her face buried in her pillow as she cried. She had been dressed in beautiful, ocean-blue robes, which Harry thought had looked extremely pretty on her. He hadn't noticed what she was wearing until now, and he just looked at her, awed by her beauty. Even though her face had been hidden in her pillow, Harry thought that she still looked extremely pretty. 

"Hermione…," he said as he sat down on the bed.

Hermione looked up to find to her surprise, her best friend: Harry Potter sitting there with a concerned look fixed upon his face.

"Harry…Harry, what are you doing here?" she asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Hermione, what's the matter? What happened?" Harry asked her, concerned.

"Oh…nothing…I just don't have anybody to go to the ball with. That's all…" Hermione slightly lied.

"That's not all of it. I saw you limping. What happened to your leg?" Harry asked, not believing her.

"Oh…I…Nothing's wrong with it," Hermione replied, denyingly.

"Hermione, you can tell me. I'm your best friend. And I know it's not just the ball because you were limping. Besides, you could always go with me to the ball," Harry said the last part rather quickly.

"But what about Cho?" Hermione asked. "I mean it wouldn't be right just to invite someone and then leave them for someone else. Besides, I know you like her," Hermione told him, rather sadly.

"I…We'll talk about the ball later. Right now- your leg. Now tell me what happened?" Harry asked, concerned again.

"Well…I…I…It's rather silly and stupid as a matter of factly. In Hagrid's class: Care of Magical Creatures, one of the Blast-Ended Skrewts bit me and stung me in my leg while I was trying to put it on a leash like Hagrid had said for me to do. I didn't complain like the others who also had scars and burn marks from the Skrewts, so I just continued on with my work even though my leg seared with pain. On the way back to the school, I stayed behind for I had to talk to Hagrid. He had wanted to see me after class to talk to me about the ball. Then, since I was the last one back, I limped my way back to the school and tripped over a stupid tree root. I could barely get up, but I eventually did. And that stupid Malfoy was the only one that saw me limping, so he had decided to make a mean joke about it. He tripped me and I fell on the floor while he laughed. I was so mad and upset, and in so much pain that I just walked straight upstairs without looking at anybody or saying anything. I had decided to take a rest in the Gryffindor common room and wait for you. Speaking of that, where were you and Ron? You were both supposed to wait for me after class like you always do…?" Hermione told Harry.

"Oh Hermione, I'm sorry. Ron and I were both so caught up in the ball and everything that we just…I'm really sorry…"Harry replied.

_It's partly my fault she's like this. I should have waited for her like I always do. If I hadn't been so stupid I could have prevented her from getting hurt even more! _Harry thought, angrily to himself.

Harry looked at Hermione who had her head down. Harry sighed and nearly slapped himself for being so stupid. After all, Hermione helped him with everything and had always been there for him. She stood up for him when the other kids made fun of him and teased him about what Rita Skeeter wrote about him in that article that was supposed to be about the Triwizard Tournament and the 4 champions participating but had ended up to be Harry's life story. She had stood up for him when Draco and his gang had started the "Support Cedric Diggory and Potter Stinks" badges. She was the only one who was there for him and believed that he wasn't the one who put his name in the Goblet of Fire while Ron acted all jealous and wouldn't talk to him about it even though he probably had believed Harry, too. She helped him learn the Summoning Charm that he could never get for his first task in order to beat the Hungarian Horntail Dragon and get the golden egg from it. She had helped him study. He thought about everything that Hermione's done for him, and tears had started to form in his eyes. He angrily wiped them away and decided to tend to Hermione's leg.

"Well…Madame Pomfrey is on her break at the ceremony and plus, I don't want to make it worse and start commotion down there by bringing her to you." Harry told her as he thought of what Draco Malfoy and all the other Slytherins would do when he brought her down there to Madame Pomfrey in front of everyone, and thought of all the worried faces of everyone else especially Ron and all the Gryffindors.

"So, I'm just going to have to take care of it myself," he said as he went to go get some water and bandages. 

"Let me see your leg," he told her as she uncovered it from her robes. Harry gasped for it was all bloody and swollen.

He gently began to wash it with blood.

"I'm going to go and get Madame Pomfrey. This looks really bad, and I don't want it getting any worse," Harry said as he rushed downstairs to get Madame Pomfrey.

He rushed over to her and quickly told her what happened. Luckily, there was too much commotion between all the other houses and foreigners in order for them to hear about Hermione.

"Oh my goodness!" cried Madame Pomfrey as she rushed up to the hospital wing with Harry to get her stuff and then up the stairs to the Gryffindor room. 

She quickly tended to Hermione as Harry sat on the bed beside her, watching. 

"Now I don't want you to move because this is going to sting," Madame Pomfrey told Hermione as she applied some kind of purple liquid on Hermione's leg.

Hermione winced in pain.

"Shhhh…Hermione, it's going to be alright," Harry soothed.

Hermione began to cry as Madame Pomfrey finished applying the "healing potion" on her leg.

"Now your going to have to sit here quietly for about 15 mins in order for it to take affect. Alright?" Madame Pomfrey said as she turned back to Harry, "And you can go back downstairs for dinner is about to start."

"No, I think I'll stay here with her," Harry replied.

"Well, alright, but since you are opening the dance for you are one of the 4 champions, you need to be there when it starts," she told him as she left.

"Alright. I'll be there," Harry called after her.

Right now, Harry didn't care about the dance or the feast that was about to start; all he cared about was Hermione. She had still been crying, but more silently now. Harry soothed her the best he could. He rubbed her back, and took her hand in his and put it in his lap. Hermione started to calm down as she looked up at Harry, her eyes still wet from crying.

_He really cared for me. He always cares for me, but never like this. He is too sweet. I wonder what he meant by: "You could always go with me to the ball…? Did he really mean…but why? I'm only his best friend by the way. But he seemed so concerned about me today and really cared. He really was sorry for forgetting to wait for me…" _Hermione's thoughts were interrupted by Harry.

"Are you going to be alright now?" he asked her, gently.

Hermione looked down at her leg and realized that her wound had disappeared and the pain was gone.

"Yeah," she smiled.

He took her hand, kissed it, and together they headed down to dinner. Everyone had already been eating, so they found themselves a seat next to Ron and ate, merrily.

"Hermione, Harry! Where have you been? You missed dinner!" Ron asked as they sat down beside him. 

Hermione and Harry smiled at each other, not answering him as they began to eat. Ron was bewildered but he dropped it.

Dinner was over, and the opening dance, lead by the 4 champions, was about to start. Cho came up to him.

"Hey Harry. Where did you run off to? Oh…never mind that, let's go and dance!" she said as she took his hand.

Harry looked over at Hermione who was gone. He wondered where she could have gone.

"Come on; what are you waiting for! It's time!" she replied as she dragged him across the floor. 

Harry stopped her. He didn't know how he was going to break it to her. "Sorry; listen…uh…Cho, I…I'm sorry…but um…I've already got someone else for the dance…I'm really…" Harry had been cut off by Cho.

"It's alright. I knew you had a thing for that Granger girl. Have fun!" she smiled at him and then rushed to find herself another dance partner. Harry stood there, shocked and bewildered. He then smiled as he went to go find Hermione. He found her sitting at the now cleared other end of the table.

"Hermione! Hermione! Come on; the dance is about to start!" he said as he pulled her up from her seat.

"Huh? Harry, what are you-I thought you were with Cho?" Hermione asked, shocked and surprised. 

"Forget her. Let's go!" he said as the dance started and he pulled her up to where the other 4 champions were. Fleur Delacour had been with Roger Davies who seemed to be really "interested" in her hence the fact that she had been part veela. She brushed her silvery-blonde hair out of her face as she took Roger's arm. Viktor Krum, the national Qudditch player had been with what looked like to be one of his fans from his fan club. Cedric Diggory had been with-Cho?! _He might have had a sudden change of dance partners,_ Harry thought. He didn't care, however, for he had Hermione. She had been dressed in her elegant, ocean-blue robes and her teeth had been fixed by Madame Pomfrey. Harry put his arm around her waist and took her other hand as the dance began and they waltzed across the floor. Several eyes were upon them and some even whispered.

"Hey! Don't tell me that that's that know-it-all Granger girl?!" Pansy whispered, surprised, over to Draco.

"Don't worry about that stupid Mudblood. Your nothing compared to that half-witch," Draco said as he smirked at Hermione. 

Hermione put her head down on Harry's chest, not wanting Harry to see that she was upset. 

"Don't worry about what that idiot, Draco, says. You're not with him. You're with me. So, just forget about him," Harry whispered to her as he lifted up her chin to look at him. She smiled and they continued to dance across the floor as, pretty soon, other couples joined in, too. Ron, who had been watching them while dancing close-by with Parvati, smiled at Harry.

"You're so lucky, Harry. I knew she liked you. She acted strange the whole week," Ron smiled up at his friend.

Harry didn't say anything, but just smiled at Ron and continued to dance with Hermione. 

The dance had ended and the next one had started as the Weird Sisters started up another song. Hermione and Harry went to go sit down and take a rest. Pansy Parkinson had been sitting right next to them with Draco beside her. She smirked as she saw Hermione.

"So, you've decided to show up after all, you Mud-I mean half witch. And don't tell me that your dance partner is Harry Potter?" she said, rather wickedly while grinning, evilly at her.

Then she turned to Harry. 

"Harry, don't tell me that this half-witch is your dance partner when your parents were pure witches and wizards?! Honestly, Harry, I don't think that your parents would approve if they were still alive-that is…"

Harry boiled with anger and then noticed that Hermione had left. He wondered where she had gone off to when all of a sudden, he heard a voice. And then he saw her walk towards Pansy.

"Pansy, here, you were offered this by one of your friends. They told me to give it to you, though I don't know why they would ask me," Hermione smirked as she handed her some pieces of candy that looked like toffee. Harry instantly recognized as to what it was, and he remembered the Dudley incident. He nearly burst into laughter, but Hermione gave him a look that meant for him to keep his mouth shut as she turned back to Pansy who had still been examining the candy. Pansy popped it in her mouth, and… screeched! It had been one of Fred and George's Ton-Tongue Toffees! Her tongue had started to grow, and she screeched as she got down on the floor, choking. Then she got up, and hurried over to Madame Pomfrey, screeching and screaming as she ran. On her way, Fred tripped her while George laughed. Harry, Ron who had now joined them finally ridden of Parvati, and Hermione laughed, hysterically. Draco gave them a look and ran after her, helping her up, but tripping over her frilly, pink robes instead.

"DRACO!!!! GET OFF!!! MY NEW ROBES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAHHH!!!!" Pansy screeched and screamed as she tried to get up. 

Draco's two sidekicks: Crabbe and Goyle quickly came over to help, but ended up tripping over the both of them instead. The massive Goyle landed on top of Draco.

"Get off, you stupid fools!" Draco yelled at them, now angry and frustrated.

"Blimey! That was hilarious, Hermione!" Ron laughed no longer able to contain himself.

Hermione finally was able to regain herself and she and Harry went for a walk as Ron smiled and waved at them.

Outside, the little reindeer and Santa Claus had all been decorated with little fairy lights, and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. It started to get dark and the tall, dark pines, stood like massive shadows against the, frosty white heavens. Hermione and Harry sat down on a bench.

They just sat there in utter silence, not saying a word to each other. Then Hermione reached over and kissed him on the cheek. Harry blushed, but smiled at her. Hermione smiled back and then reverted her gaze to the reindeer and Santa. It had started to get more chilly and cold. Hermione shivered, slightly. Even in her long and warm robes, she had still been cold. Harry noticed her shiver, and said,

"Come on, Hermione. Let's go back inside."

He got up and reached over to take her hand. She gladly took it, and got up. Just as they were about to start walking back, Hermione turned to Harry and said,

"Thanks, Harry for everything you have done for me."

"No, I should be thanking you for everything that you had done for me. If it wasn't for you, I would have never been able to do so well with the Summoning Charm and get that egg," Harry told her.

"But you're the one who always cared for me and helped me when I was injured. You stood up for me against Draco…" 

Hermione paused and there was a long silence between them until Hermione interrupted it.

"I wanted to ask you, Harry, why didn't you go with Cho like you should have? After all, it wasn't very nice of you to just leave her there and go off with someone else-me…"

There was another moment of silence between them as Harry had finally managed to break it. 

"Hermione, you're the one whose always been there for me. You're the one who has helped me in everything like the Summoning Charm and all my projects and homework assignments. And you're the only one who has believed me and stood by me after my name had been chosen from the Goblet of Fire. You're my best friend and you always have been and always will be, but now…Hermione…I…I feel something different for you…Hermione, we have known each other and been together for 4 years now, and I have never felt something between anyone that I feel now towards you…Not even towards Cho. She's just pretty, but you're so much more than she is…" he paused, and then said the last words almost in a whisper. "I love you, Hermione."

Hermione smiled as she threw herself into his arms.

"Harry, you would have never guessed that I felt that way towards you ever since that day when we were trying to solve the mystery of the Sorceress's stone way back in our first year at Hogwarts. I knew there was something different about you, and it wasn't just the fact that you were Harry Potter the famous boy who had survived You-Know-Who, but it had been more. Your friendship meant a lot to me, and me being the smart, know-it-all that I am, I never had anyone who cared for me as much as you and who were real, true friends to me such as you and Ron. I love you, too, Harry Potter," she said as tears of happiness streamed down her face. They hugged once again, and then Harry kissed her lightly on the lips. Just when Hermione was about to kiss him back, a snowball hit her and Harry.

"Come on, lovebirds! Snowball fight!" Ron laughed as Hermione's smile turned into annoyance and anger and Harry started to chase after Ron. With that, the 3 friends were soon engulfed in a snowball fight, laughing and giggling endlessly.

__

I 'll be the one...

I guess you were lost when I met you

Still there were tears in your eyes

So out of trust and I knew

No more than mysteries and lies

There you were, wild and free

Reachin' out like you needed me

A helping hand to make it right

I am holding you all through the night

CHORUS

I'll be the one

Who will make all your sorrows undone

I'll be the light

When you feel like there's nowhere to run

I'll be the one...

To hold you and make sure that you'll be alright

'Cause my fear is gone

And I want to take you from darkness to light

There you were, wild and free

Reachin' out like you needed me

A helping hand to make it right

I am holding you all through the night

CHORUS - repeat

You need me like I need you

We can share our dreams comin' true

I can show you what true love means

Just take my hand, baby please

I'll be the one

I'll be the light

Where you can run

To make it alright

I'll be the one

I'll be the light

Where you can run

CHORUS - repeat

I'll be the one

I'll be the light

Where you can run

To make it alright

I'll be the one

I'll be the light

Where you can run

To make it all right

I'll be the one

To hold you

And make sure that you'll be alright

I'll be the one


End file.
